Electrical connectors provide signal connections between electronic devices using electrically-conductive contacts, or electrical contacts. In some applications, an electrical connector provides a connectable interface between one or more substrates, e.g., printed circuit boards. Such an electrical connector may include a receptacle connector mounted to a first substrate and a complementary header connector mounted to a second substrate. Typically, a first plurality of electrical receptacle contacts in the receptacle connector is adapted to mate with a corresponding plurality of electrical header contacts in the header connector. For instance, the electrical receptacle contacts can receive the electrical header contacts so as to establish an electrical connection between the electrical receptacle contacts and the electrical header contacts.
The electrical contacts typically include a plurality of signal contacts and ground contacts. Often, the signal contacts are so closely spaced that undesirable interference, or “cross talk,” occurs between adjacent signal contacts. As used herein, the term “adjacent” refers to contacts (or rows or columns) that are next to one another. Cross talk occurs when one signal contact induces electrical interference in an adjacent signal contact due to intermingling electrical fields, thereby compromising signal integrity. With electronic device miniaturization and high speed, high signal integrity electronic communications becoming more prevalent, the reduction of cross talk becomes a significant factor in connector design.